WalMan

[quote name='jacko' post='1359926' date='Sep 2 2011, 02:39 PM']In the gold old days when I spent forever working through squire's lines, there was no such thing as Tab and aspiring bass players had to either buy the sheet music or sit for hours with a cassette player. Tab? Pah! [/quote] Thought I'd share in case anyone can't quite get some of the nuances Your Move |-------|-------| |-------|-------| |-------|-------| |--0----|--0---| Repeat ad nauseum Hymn - BJH |-----|-------|-----|----|----|--------|-----|----|----|----|----|----| |-----|-------|-----|----|----|--------|-----|----|----|----|----|----| |-----|--0----|--0-|----|----|--0-----|--0-|----|--0-|--0-|----|----| |--0-|-----0-|-----|--0-|--0-|-----0-|-----|--0-|----|----|--0-|--0-| Repeat ad nauseum

So I have just acquired a set of Roland PK5 bass pedals, or rather a midi controller. I plan to use them to fire Moog Taurus samples I have in IK Sampletank/SampleMoog on the laptop, but that may turn out to be a bit of a faff live. It has been suggested that a Korg Microsampler might do the trick, but does anyone have any other good ideas for a good hardware midi sound source?

[quote name='bartelby' post='1351077' date='Aug 25 2011, 10:25 AM']£200 postage???[/quote] Indeed. Interesting definition of "Economy"

Last minute stand in with a rock covers band at a venue just round the corner from my house (at a push I could have carried the current rig round there) Nice venue, PA, lights and we can only hope that it takes off and manages to keep going as it is a little out of town. Took my radio system, which I haven't used for a while now. Got it all set up and then founf that I was on the same frequency as one of the guitarists radios , so back in the case it went and leads were used. Drummer was also standing in, but this time had played with them before and knew the set so we were a lot tighter than the time before with the drummer who knew/had played about three songs in the set...ever The rig was sounding awesome. It sort of puts me in mind of the cat in the Kia Picanto ad, when the dog barks at it and the cat roars causing the dog to whimper & run. Markbass LM Tube & Barefaced SuperTwelve T sat on a Gramma Pad with the G&L L2500's into the front via a Boss tuner and EBS Octabass, with the EBS Chorus in the loop. Effects hardly used. Tone pretty much flat. This unassuming rig sits to the side of the stage next to a Marshal Valvestate stack, yet fire it up and it ROARS!! Beautiful sound. Good solid, but not wooly bass fundamental, but with the mids punching through and a nice sheen at the top end. Solid as a rock down to the low B. Got some nice compliments on the sound and all through the night the band leader kept coming over when it wasn't his lead break and wallowing in the thunder Other than possibly getting a BF Midget T for smaller gigs that is pretty much me GAS free now. I LOVE IT!!! Crappy camera phone recording [url="https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=2117548173036"]HERE[/url] - Well the bass was cutting through OK Shame about the playing

Oh lordy!!! Straight on to one with TWICE the difficulty rating Barclay James Harvest - Hymn Clawed my way through that one. Vid's may follow if I can stay awake long enough Might just have to be one verse with this difficulty rating

[quote name='essexbasscat' post='1349693' date='Aug 23 2011, 11:12 PM']Do earplugs always muffle frequencies to protect the ears or are there models / brands out there that just lower the volume levels without sounding muffled or flattening out selected frequencies ?[/quote] The [url="http://www.hearingprotection.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=145&Itemid=287"]ACS Pro17's[/url] I have give a pretty flat response across the range (to my knac'd ears anyway) so I don't get the muffling, just a general cut, which seems to work OK most of the time. As before at the mo on quieter gigs I find it can be too much of a cut and I end up taking one plug out but otherwise no probs.

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' post='1350019' date='Aug 24 2011, 10:34 AM']It's all about [i]how[/i] you hit the open E. [/quote] I have a gong mallett I think should do the trick

Yup I find I have stopped using the IEM's and with the bit I get back with the plugs its fine. Mind you I could have sworn from the ACS literature that I shouldn't be hearing myself inside my head (if you know what I mean) with the plugs in

Had a set of ACS 17's made a few months back. Still getting used to them as for some it just seems to knock out too much, but I am assured by others that with regular useage your ears reattune themselves - it's just a bit hard at some quieter gigs

I had to look everywhere for the tab

Done it

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='1349499' date='Aug 23 2011, 09:14 PM']I just fiddle around in the key.[/quote] [quote name='Pete Academy' post='1349502' date='Aug 23 2011, 09:15 PM']So do I.[/quote] Yup that's about the size of it

From this months eMusic download just started a second listen to: XsavioR : Caleidoscope - Remastered And it's rather good IMO. A bit Dream Theater / A.C.T ([i]who!?[/i])

[quote name='Prime_BASS' post='1346969' date='Aug 21 2011, 10:30 AM']wanted to go try Elixers but no where local stocks them. ... Still going to try Elixers when the opportunities arise.[/quote]Seems to be virtually impossible to get Elixirs in store, darn Sarf anyway. Probably because they last ages so stores will end up with stock hanging around forever as they are expensive as well. Bemoaned this fact to the guys on the Elixir stand at the BGM Bass Day Your best bet is one of the online string stores

Back from a local gig. Unfortunately MrsW's blood pressure dropped through the floor at the end of the evening and she was discovered white as a sheet and passed out in the ladies, now hugely embarrassed as she thinks everyone will think she was p155ed, which she wasn't Ah well Another "dep" with the country band, though as mentioned elsewhere I have a nagging feeling that I have usurped the old bass player. As far as I am concerned it is a dep whenever he's not about, but further snippets of conversations tonight might suggest otherwise. Got through both sets OK. Did a few songs that were not rehearsed and had been dropped at the last two deps, last week & the week before due to time constraints so a bit of watch the guitarists, keep an ear open to the drummer and busk it. Got through with no really major screw ups. As Nik said, the set was a bit odd as it went from up tempo to mid and fell a little at the end, but generally pleased and the rig was sounding nice where I was (admittedly stood right on top of it. Now a bit of a break, but loads of songs to learn for assorted other projects

I find on the long gig we have where this can happen that drinking loads o water throughout the night helps. The second set can othen run to close to a couple of hours, it is a hot & sweaty & I perspire a lot (OK too much info but possibly relevant). I can get through nearly 3 litres of water on particularly hot nights and doing that to keep hydrated seems to help with not cramping up in the fretting hand

OK. Another "dep" doing the poppy country rock stuff. Went much better than last weeks & I only had to catch up a couple of times, neither of which I think anyone in the audience would have noticed. Felt I played mush better this week Worst part(s) [list] [*]we were supposed to get fed. I was handed a voucher to the hog roast (yumsk) but unfortunatelty once we were set up ready to go there wasn't time to eat. Decided to wait 'til the break then noticed it was all being packed away as we started the first set [*]Getting to the gig (Eastbourne Yacht Club) was a complete 'mare. First the sat nav took me down a service road behind ASDA, but there was no way through. Then I went for the 24 hour free carpark (and should have just pared up and carried the gear a short distance across to the club as that was where I ended up parked anyway) then I finally found the proper way in, but had to wait for someone to answer the gate phone and open the gate to let me throught. So was a tad later than expected/intended [/list]

So what about a set for my fretless G&L L2500? Strings through body and I have to get extra long Elixirs or the taper starts before the nut and the B at least rattles in the nut. I could I suppose string the B on top rather than through body. Got caught out and wasted at least one string from a set before now

[quote name='lowdown' post='1331206' date='Aug 7 2011, 06:44 PM']Slapping and popping, you will quickly get a gig at the next trade show. Garry[/quote] and a permaban at a Bash

[quote name='bassace' post='1329695' date='Aug 6 2011, 11:00 AM']If you find a bass, any bass, that gives you a buzz when you play it, you feel that your playing's so much better on that instrument, you get the sound you like and it makes you smile every time you play it - [i]that's[/i] an investment.[/quote] What he said. I lucked onto my Wal probably getting on for 30 years ago now. I sort of knew the name and got a good deal as it was up s/h in the drummer in my then bands shop. It's now insured, and probably worth substantially more than I paid, but it was never bought as an investment. It was bought to play, and was my workhorse for 25 years until I got the G&L's and semi retired it. Even if it were now an investment it could not accurately be called one as I love it dearly (we've been through much) so the chances of a sale any time in the near future, if ever, are slim to BA. Don't buy as an investment, buy as an instrument to be loved and used, or sold if you don't get on with it playingwise. If over the years it turns out to become sort after and worth a lot more, then that's just gravy & hurrah!

[quote name='nottswarwick' post='1329286' date='Aug 5 2011, 09:50 PM']What are the LM tube ones like? Can they do the classic MB clean, and also have the tube blended for a bit of grit?[/quote]Love my LMT, and into the BF Super12T sounds great IMO. Pre mix edged just past 12 o'clock, EQ flat and no filter adjustment is looooovely. Grit was what I was after. Set as I do it's more warmth than grit, but nice Just thinking of a BF Midget for smaller gigs. [quote name='nottswarwick' post='1329300' date='Aug 5 2011, 10:04 PM']cool. Sorry for the thread hijack. Anyone used a Littlemark Rocker....actually, new thread alert...[/quote]Tried one at the London Show last year, efore I got the LMT as I had the CMD combo and was looking for a little grit. The valve on the Rocker was just too dirty for me.

Well again, got through a dep relatively unscathed - not so sure about Silvefoxnik's walls as it was just down the road from his Now, why is it that you can play along to songs to try and get them to sink in, but the minute you go and play them with a band it al just escapes you I 'spose because you are playing along to the record and a fraction behind to get the queue. No set list and nothing was really announced (like that would have helped, probably not the way I felt I was playing) but songs wer being started & I just had to catch up. Got through most of the time, but watching the rythmn guitarists left hand most of the night which helped [i]most[/i] of the time. Hadn't realised there were three songs in the first set all called, or abbreviated to, "Breathe". So, "what's the first song?" says I "Breathe" says they ....and of course I picked the wrong one Was supposed to be at a wedding evening do for a mate, but hadn't realised when I commited to the dep. Luckily both in the town I live in, so went to the evening do with MrsW & the car loaded, met up with my bands vocalist, drummer & their wife / g/f and slunk of aroung 7:30 leaving MrsW with them. They brought her down to the gig around 9:30 and then as the wedding do had broken up (and a police van turned up - too many youngsters not holding drink it was thought) they all came back around the break and stayed to the end. So there they all were like the X Factor or BGT judging panel, and me bricking it. Still seemed to go OK, no real train wrecks that we didn't manage to plough through regardless, and once again no one died. EDIT: Other interesting point, for me at least, I didn't use a pick all night. First gig I have done finger stylie in I don't know how many years!! m99.9% of my playing life I have used a pick, so that was different, but it just suited the stuff I 'spose.

The songs in the set for tonights dep I haven't learnt properly yet. Assorted country/pop type stuff Eagles, Faith Hill, Lucie Silvas) so pretty straightforward and actually quite enjoyable too. Whether it's another train wreck of a gig like the last dep with a different lot I shall have to report later

[quote name='Blademan_98' post='1328133' date='Aug 5 2011, 12:59 AM']I lent my fretless to a friend. He proceeded to take out a pick and play I told him 'NO' and took it off him. It may just be my personal opinion, but on no account should you play fretless with a pick! /rant[/quote] That's where I'm going wrong then. Not about to change though